BIMM’s Proven Path to Commercial Success
Success comes in many forms within the music industry. For some, it’s about making a name for themselves behind the scenes. For others, it’s their passion for creativity and the thrill of commercial success that drives them. Our courses are tailored to suit both of these career outcomes and many more. From high profile performers like James Bay and George Ezra, to industry successes such as Natasha Bent and Charlie Martin, our track record of big-hitting graduates speaks for itself. Here, we detail the key elements of our performance courses to show how they are tailored to kickstart your career.
Deciding to study a music performance course with us means choosing to broaden your horizons, not just as a musician, but as a music industry professional. Alongside improved stage-craft and instrumental technique, our Professional Musicianship students discover additional strengths during their time at BIMM, which is vital for those looking to forge a portfolio career as a multi-skilled freelancer in the creative industries. This is all thanks to a well-rounded roster of modules which are the building blocks of our performance courses, such as Applied Music Business, Essential Styles, Theory & Critical Listening, Music Publishing, Online Music, Studio Recording and more.
In addition to your day-to-day studies, BIMM also offers an array of QAA approved opportunities to help you engage with the industry and connect with the right people to further your career. These extra opportunities include one-to-one tutorials with experienced experts who continue to shape the industry, tailored careers hubs, networking events and masterclasses – plus internships with some of the industry’s key promotions companies, press outlets, agencies and record labels.
The culmination of all of these factors puts you in the strongest possible position as a new music professional. So, whether you’re looking to hit the big time as a performer, or you’re just looking to keep your options as broad as possible, your career in music starts at BIMM.
James Bay
Brighton graduate James Bay needs little introduction. He studied a BA (Hons) in Professional Musicianship – Guitar and soon afterward signed to Republic Records after being spotted by one of their A&R scouts at a BIMM showcase gig. His first album ‘Chaos & The Calm’ attained gold and platinum sales in numerous territories throughout the world and his latest single ‘Wild Love’ surpassed 1 million streams within 24 hours of its release, and his sophomore album ‘Electric Light’ is due for imminent release. Read more about James’ story, here.
Natasha Bent
Natasha was among BIMM Brighton’s very first cohort of graduates. She studied on a BA (Hons) In Professional Musicianship – Vocals and soon began making a name for herself as a performer, appearing alongside BIMM tutor Carleen Anderson as a backing vocalist. Proving how you don’t necessarily have to study music business to find success in this field, ‘Tasha eventually decided to turn her focus away from performance and started her own booking agency. Soon afterwards, she was hired as a Live Agent by the Coda Music Agency, one of the biggest booking agents in the business. To add to her impressive list of accolades, ‘Tasha was recently listed in Music Week’s Women in Music Roll Of Honour. Read more about Natasha’s success story here.
George Ezra
George studied a Diploma at BIMM Bristol before signing to Columbia and scoring a number one chart position with his debut album ‘Wanted On Voyage’. He subsequently received BBC Music and Brit award nominations for his hit single ‘Budapest’. After numerous successful headline tours and festival slots, George returned to the studio to work with long-time collaborator and producer Cam Blackwood, and recently released his sophomore album ‘Staying At Tamara’s’, which entered the UK album charts at number one. Read more about George’s story here.
Fickle Friends
Having received fevered support from the likes of Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills and NME Magazine, beach pop quintet Fickle Friends are now in the midst of seismic hype. Their debut album ‘You Are Someone Else’ went straight into the top ten and their subsequent headline tour of the UK and U.S saw many dates being completely sold out. 2018 still holds much more for the Polydor Records signees, with appearances at Latitude, Tramlines and Reading & Leeds Festivals in the pipeline to name just a few. Read more about Fickle Friend’s recent success story, here.
Izzy Bizu
A MOBO nomination, a BBC Sound Of Award, support slots with Sam Smith and an appearance at Glastonbury are just some of the many career highlights of BIMM London alumnus Izzy Bizu. The talented singer was spotted by talent scouts at a Music Week RADAR event and signed a deal with Sony offshoot EPIC Records soon after. Her debut album ‘A Moment Of Madness’ entered the UK charts in the top 40 on its release in 2016 and she recently turned her hand to modelling, with a commission as the face of Cacharel’s latest fragrance ‘YesIAm’. Read more about Izzy’s success story here.
If you’re looking to join the ranks of our successful graduates and launch your music career with the strongest start possible, then you can start your BIMM application today!
Alternatively, if you’d appreciate the chance to take a look around our state of the art facilities and meet some of your potential lecturers, you can book yourself a place on one of our ever-popular Open Days, HERE.
We can’t wait to meet you!
